Increasing the sustainability of LCD recycling

The present paper reports on selected findings made within the Swedish joint R&D project “Sustainable Recycling of Flat Panel Displays”. The results presented are specifically related to i) Process for indium recovery from LCD glass; ii) Recovery and re-use of optical components; and iii) Sustainability rating of different recycling scenarios involving mainly large-scale shredding and manual dismantling. Process parameters for high yield recovery of indium from LCD glass were investigated and results indicate that the process can be employed for large-scale sustainable recovery. Re-use of optical components from discarded LCD screens in high-end applications, particularly in LED fittings, was evaluated and found to improve energy efficiency of the fitting as well as economical and ecological sustainability of the recycling scenario. Life cycle impact was evaluated for different recycling scenarios developed for LCD screens.